Which way to Brenner Pass

A snowHead

I'm driving to Alleghe in late January...
Google recommends the Ruette through to Innsbruck.
But from memory I always preffered the Kufstein way into Austria, have things changed and the Ruette road improved.
Perhaps its going to recommend the other way in winter.

Anyway a few of you will be familiar with those roads, so please let me know what you think?

A snowHead

There are other threads here suggesting avoiding the Brenner Pass this winter because of roadworks.

Not going to Kufstein also avoids having to go around Munich. The Fernpass has been fine whenever I have driven that route.

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We drove to Alleghe in the summer via the Ruette and Fernpass. The drive through Germany was hard going with lots of road works and heavy lorries. The Fernpass route was slow and busy as well but more relaxing than the A8. The Brenner and the passes from Alleghe to Wolkenstein were the worst parts. The Brenner is not going to be easy but I imagine that the Dolomite passes would be a lot easier without the hords of cyclists and heavy traffic that you get in the summer.

Next time I do the journey we will stick to the French motorways as much as possible and cut across Switzerland.

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When we drive to Zillertal we go the route to Lille, through Belgium, Luxembourg, down towards Saarbrücken, across to Stuttgart, Munich and down crossing over at Kufstein.

However, I do agree with @johnE I hate the German Autobahn's, but go that way to save on the French tolls, plus cheap fuel in Luxembourg.

Virtually the same time and distance to go via France via Metz and then Reims, but it's almost certainly a more relaxing drive.

The Germans are mental drivers on the Autobahns, it always feels dangerous, particularly around junctions.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Personally would avoid the Fernpass especially at weekends as it is overflowing with mainly Dutch folk driving south. It is not that high but can get closed in snowy weather which causes chaos especially as pretty much all single lane. I would suggest turning right / south at Ulm and going via Bregenz & Arlberg. If the Brenner is a mess (currently there have been no issues so wait to see what the effect will be) then you can go via Reschenpass & Meran though that is hardly a fast route.

The only roadworks on the Luxembourg / A8 route are those at Pforzheim (which have been / will be there for years) but not that much of an issue at weekends, the section around Stuttgart is prone to jams (amount of traffic) but otherwise fairly quiet, the section from Ulm to Munich is very fast which can be unnerving if you are not used to it, you think you are going fast doing 160km/h when someone in a BMW/Porsche/Audi zooms past doing 220km/h! Munich to Kufstein is subject to serious queues at weekends. Avoid the A3 between Frankfurt & Nürnburg as very tedious long term roadworks.

Driving in Switzerland is very irritating these days as the Swiss have become very keen on speed limits (which vary) and cameras, though perhaps brits can avoid the fines. Almost as irritating as the Inntal with the 100 km/h limit.

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we've driven from the UK to the Dolomites and back twice in the winter. We took with the Fernpass route and have not had any delays in Austria but IIRC we've gone through on a week day. The worst part has always been around Stuttgart/Pforzheim, it doesn't seem to matter when you travel there has always been a delay due to an accident and/or roadworks Crying or Very sad

Maybe we've been unlucky. We've always gone via Belgium/Luxembourg/Saarbrucken/oy Mittelberg / Fernpass for the same reasons as @swskier. There is a very cheap fuel stop with supermarkets nr Schegnen.

However, last year on the way back to the UK we travelled through Austria on a Saturday mid Feb and, as @munich_irish says, Saturday afternoon the queues heading south were absolutely horrendous, miles and miles and miles of stationary or slow moving traffic almost from the Austrian border over towards the Fernpass. IIRC there would be a 5-10 mile traffic jam then nothing for a while and a little later another 5-10 mile traffic jam.

@swskier, There is a habit for drivers joining to simply pull out without taking much notice of traffic already on the autobahn, I guess something that is taught as part of the German driving test (which includes a section driving on the Autobahn). There is a habit to simply follow the "rules" without taking too much notice of what else might be on the road. Roundabouts are another problem, the concept is complete lacking from German driving experience! Being in the outside lane is generally not an good idea on the non speed limit sections unless you are happy cruising at 160km+ likely to lead to high speed tailgating with lots of flashing headlights!

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Hi @munich_irish, I was hoping you would turn up on this thread.
I used to be regular from Nuremberg down to Worgl and then onywhere anywhere from Kitz to Stanton.

But its been a long time and I always found "fahren, fahren on der Autobahn" was not relaxing.

I'll have to go over the Brenner delays or not.

I always hated that Phorzheim road ... they even have that Crocadile on the road sign.
Might not be there any more?

I think you have confirmed what I was thinking ... don't go via Ruette.

But ... via Ulm and Feldkirsh sounds like a plan...
Is that all motorway these days from Ulm to Bregenz, it used to be ordinary road?

I'm planning to take the ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland and get off at 8am.

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you can avoid the Brenner by going through the Ferne Pass and going right on the autobahn for a few kilometers and taking the Reschen Pass and going via Merano ..you come out at Bolzano ..I had to do this once when the Brenner was shut on the way home...its a bit longer and generally single lane roads but not bad ...one advantage is no tolls

also you can avoid the Ferne Pass by going to the outskirts of Munich and going down through Garmisch..it can be quicker ...we where going home from Kronplatz and I went that way and some friends who left before me caught up at Ulm

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@DrLawn, The route via Bregenz is now all Autobahn. There is now a second bore at the Pfänder tunnel so the queues there have gone (or at least should have). If you are coming from the north then you can go via Heilbronn (A7) which avoids Pforzheim . Not sure about the route via Garmisch & Mittenwald, lots of narrow roads. Garmisch is now easier as there is a new tunnel around Oberau but even so not sure it makes sense when on a long drive.

Also note it is possible to get a one day Austrian vignette but only use the official ASFINAG site https://www.asfinag.at/en/toll/vignette/digital-vignette/ there are the usual dodgy reseller sites.

If you are returning through Austria get a 10 day vignette for not much more than a one day one

You know it makes sense.

As from last year (?) you can also register your car number plate and Credit card on Asfinag and use the automatic ANPR toll Booth which was a lot quicker on a Saturday.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Several years ago on a summer Saturday I discovered flow-control between Füssen and Reutte - there was a set of traffic lights just north of Reutte and the traffic was backed up most of the way to the Grenze Tunnel at Füssen. Having been that way a few times mid-week, it could well be high season weekends only. The snags were that the nearby country roads were either "local access only" at weekends (via Pinsang) or there were road-closed barriers on the road through Musau. I suspect that the flow control is Saturdays and Sundays only, and I have never seen it northbound. Incidentally, it is not unusual for the German "Border Force" to have a checkpoint (northbound only) just north of the Grenze Tunnel - a very minor inconvenience.

NB if your TomTom or ViaMichelin tells you that the road between Füssen and Reutte is vignette only, that is wrong.

If I'm on the German autobahns and there are major jams, I always keep an eye open for the emergency exits and take to the country roads. Not necessarily as quick, but less frustrating. Garmins work well in these circumstances, but I cannot comment on TomTom or Google Maps.

A snowHead

Wow, this is interesting, I knew there was a vignette system in Austria now, but I did not know they have toll roads.
I think the vignette is quite fair and reasonable.
Thank you @richb67, I'll look into that, great way to do it.
I think the 10 day one will be the one for me.

I've got to checkout these alternative routes.
I can't believe how much time I can put into a trip that is still 3 months away.

Help!!

Which way to Brenner Pass

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